Cortez

“Sell The Future” comes in at #23 on the November Doom Charts!

Dropping a needle down on a Ripple Music release I’m always taken back to why I’m so obsessed with this genre of music. A group like Cortez comes out of the woodshed to split some logs of Iommi inspired riffage while wielding a grunge fueled axe. Sell The Future will fuel your fire as this dark winter approaches. Grab some kindling and stoke the flame with this more than heavy Ripple release.
~ROBERT PANNELL

“There are records that hook you from the first listen. Something like this has happened to me with Cortez’s “Sell The Future”, a group from Boston who with this third LP have managed to stand out as a group and set the bar very high. From the initial “No Escape” we know that we are facing a job that will only have points in its favor. My favorite is the self titled cut as it contains some monumental guitar lines, although “Beyond” is very close in terms of leveling thanks to Matt’s booming voice. Nor would I like to stop naming the progressive “Faulty Authors” or the sonic torpedo that is “Vanishing Point”. High level Metal bands do not stop coming out and that is always synonymous with joy.” (translated from Spanish)

Cortez
Sell the Future
by Neil Cook at 16 November 2020, 9:59 PM

CORTEZ from Boston in the US of A have been around now for a few years. Since 2006 in fact. “Sell The Future” is their 3rd long player. Doing my research I’ve seen them described as a Stoner/Doom Metal band. I can see why, and not being familiar with their previous output that might be the case, but there seems to be to be a lot more diversity on display than the sort of sludgy, slow, heavy Blues infused, trippy, tripped out groove you would expect. Although there is plenty of this too.

As the opening salvo of “No Escape” and “Sell The Future” illustrate nicely. Its like AEROSMITH’s sleazier cousins (oh wait that’s GUNS N ROSES) touring with early OZZY led BLACK SABBATH. The former sprinting out of the gates like a thorough bread stallion on steroids, the latter powerfully plodding along like a pit pony pulling a cart full of heavy, Heavy Metal, slowly but purposely getting there.

And that’s how the album seems to go on. “Look At Yourself” barrels along with attitude, “Faulty Authors”, meanders along, with its trippy vocals and sudden angry interludes, but the treacle-like pacing is, well doom-laden. What exactly is a Faulty Author anyway? Whatever they are CORTEZ don’t like them, they want to “burn them fuckers down”, so don’t get on the wrong side of them!

“Deceivers” is a riff laden sleazy wild ride, pounding drums, chunky groove laden, wah wah guitars driven rocker. “Sharpen The Spear” breaks the formula to a point. Yes it slows things down a tad, and the riffs are definitely from the IOMMI playbook, but it’s more TONY MARTIN era SABBATH than the OZ lead sound, it practically bounces along, and the solos almost sound like THIN LIZZY joining the party.

“Vanishing Point” has a punchy drum sound that makes it sound like a certain band who “play rock and roll”. The vocals have a punky snarl about them and the guitar solo could be one of FAST EDDIES licks. “Beyond” is a trippy and strung out, and loud grinding, powerful masterpiece, left for last.

I have to admit I like the quick-slow approach, it works for me. I really like the slower Stoner/Doom parts, but like it is, broken up with the stabs of heavy sleaze in between, the album could have been a tad soporific. As it is though, it works just fine.

Songwriting: 9
Originality: 9
Memorability: 9
Production: 9

Excellent review of “Sell The Future” in the new issue of Powerplay Rock and Metal Magazine (UK).

Thanks to the fine folks over at Gimme Metal for making our song “Sell The Future” the track of the day!

TRACK OF THE DAY: “Sell the Future” – Cortez.

While radiating down-in-the-dirt riffery showing equal fandom of Sabbath and ZZ Top, Cortez’s heaviosity surges with clean, stark production and smatterings of soul. It’s a rich, unusual approach in a subgenre where everyone’s out to recreate the DNA of the ’70s in a sometimes overbearing flashback way; Cortez sound is distinctly modern while encapsulating all the good classic traits of that decade.

We received a 7.5 / 10 review for “Sell The Future” in the new issue of Rock Hard Italy !